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Plataine and Assembly Guidance collaborate to provide integrated solution to optimize cutting and kitting processes for composite part manufacturers

News International-French

Plataine Inc., a leading provider of production optimization software solutions and Assembly Guidance Systems, Inc. a leading provider of high performance laser projection systems for manual manufacturing and quality monitoring, partner to provide a seamlessly integrated solution for optimized cutting and kitting of composite plies. The integrated solution, which is based on Plataine’s Total Production Optimization (TPO) and Assembly Guidance’s KitGuide solutions, combines TPO’s optimization algorithms with KitGuide’s laser projection system to make cutting and kitting more efficient.

TPO and KitGuide allow manufacturers to dynamically mix different kits on the same nest and gain increased material utilization, higher machine throughput, and better time management. This is accomplished without the need to face the "impossible jigsaw puzzle" when unloading the cutter since KitGuide’s laser projector illuminates each ply in the correct offloading sequence. The sequences are driven by TPO.

"We are very excited with this partnership which brings an influential and innovative synergy to better address the needs of the markets we serve such as the aerospace, automotive, marine, and wind energy industries", says Avner Ben-Bassat, Plataine’s President and CEO. "Our dynamic optimization approach has proved time and again the enormous benefits of jointly cutting multiple kits as production demand requires. By partnering with Assembly Guidance, our customers can now benefit from the highest levels of material utilization while eliminating the excess time, labor, misidentification, and misplacement associated with unloading the parts off the cutters."

“With Plataine, we’re happy to offer this totally integrated solution to cutting facilities.” says Scott Blake, President and CEO of Assembly Guidance. “This integration is another in the long line of enhancements we’ve provided in KitGuide’s 17 year history of improving cutting efficiency.”

KitGuide eliminates the inefficient requirement for cutter operators to read ply maps or sort by reading labels. The multitasking KitGuide projects kitting sequences for up to four kits being unloaded simultaneously, thus nearly quadrupling the unload rate. It also enables a single kit to be unloaded from both sides of the table simultaneously. The system supports wireless printers that rapidly generate detailed labels with barcodes. The wireless printer addresses problems with narrow plies nested closely together. A ProjectorVision option allows hands free auto-advance. The system recognizes when the correct next ply has been picked up and advances the display while leaving the operator’s hands free to move plies.

Plataine’s Total Production Optimization (TPO) solution offers composite parts manufacturers a fully integrated solution for dynamic production optimization of the composites manufacturing processes. Seamlessly integrated to the manufacturer's ERP, CAD and Production Floor systems, TPO creates ready-to-cut production plans by optimally selecting the composite rolls to use and generating the optimal nests for each roll. TPO achieves this while matching the order due date, order quantity, actual material expiration date and size (width & length), and while considering the full order plan for additional optimization opportunities. TPO drives significant cost savings and increased productivity by offering higher material utilization, better inventory management, and faster - more flexible - time to market. TPO further reduces costs by automating routine manual tasks and eliminating any errors associated with them. TPO supports multiple import and export CAD formats, including: DXF, HPGL, NC Cut, Gerber, CATIA, Fibersim, Lectra (PLX, MDL), and many more.